MUSHI: A Multi-Device Framework for Collaborative Inquiry Learning

We present the MUSHI (Multi-User Simulation with Handheld Integration) framework, which was designed to support middle and high school students in the acquisition of scientific concepts rooted in complex, multi-scalar phenomena. In designing a learning environment that is conducive to collaborative inquiry learning, we have combined a dynamic simulation with wirelessly-connected handheld devices. This is a novel use of technology, so we first had to ensure that this new multi-device paradigm would not, via extraneous cognitive load, interfere with inquiry learning tasks. In this pilot study, we confirmed that the multi-device interface can be used by the lower age range of our target demographic, and that its use does not impair the execution of inquiry learning tasks of the sort we have designed for the learning environment. We also observed the collaborative behaviors that naturally emerged from the use of MUSHI, to develop recommendations for scaffolding collaborative inquiry tasks.